New Delhi, April 18 -- Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said that Biju Janata Dal has always stood for women's empowerment and slammed the BJP-led government for having linked the bill to tweak women's quota with delimitation, saying BJD is firmly against any reduction in "political power" of Odisha.

His remarks came a day after the Constitutional Amendment Bill on women's quota, which was linked to delimitation on the basis of 2011 census, failed in the Lok Sabha.

Patnaik accused the BJP of "compromising" Odisha's rights.

"BJD has always stood for women's empowerment, from the Panchayat level up to Parliament. We are completely against reducing the political power of Odisha through delimitation. The people of Od...